The Town of Gibsons is entering a new phase of public engagement for its Official Community Plan (OCP), inviting residents to weigh in on the community’s long-term vision for housing, land use and sustainability.
The OCP update is part of the federally funded Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF), which provides $2.3 million to help municipalities remove barriers to housing development.
According to a staff report at the meeting, Gibsons’ OCP update is now 55 per cent complete and must be finalized by the end of 2025 to meet the program’s deadlines.
The current phase of the project includes public engagement on the draft plan, which began the week of July 20.
“We’re going to be holding some pop-up sessions all over town,” planning director Lesley-Anne Staats told council members, listing locations such as Super Value, IGA, Pioneer Park, and the Gibsons Public Market night market.
This round of engagement builds on earlier work by the Gibsons Residents Assembly, which developed a set of recommendations in 2024.
Those recommendations were endorsed by council and are being incorporated into the draft OCP.
The plan also integrates findings from the Complete Communities Assessment, which evaluated how well Gibsons supports walkability, housing diversity, and access to amenities.
The OCP update is being carried out in four phases.
The town is currently in Phase 3, which focuses on refining the draft plan based on public feedback.
A final version is expected to be adopted alongside a new zoning bylaw later this year.
In addition to the OCP, the town is advancing related initiatives under the HAF, including a review of parking policies, density bonusing, and a land strategy for future housing development.
Residents are encouraged to participate in the survey and attend pop-up events to help shape the future of Gibsons. More information is available on the town’s website.
Jordan Copp is Coast Reporter’s civic and Indigenous affairs reporter. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.
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